Before today, my only exposure to elephants has been from a safe distance at a zoo. In Chiang Mai I have the opportunity familiarize myself with these creatures on a more personal level.

For centuries, elephants have been an integral and symbolic part of Thai culture. On the battlefields of ancient Siam, elephants were weapons of war; trampling enemies and demolishing barricades. The rare white elephant can still be seen on the flag of the Royal Thai Navy, paying tribute to the role these animals played in the country’s historic warfare techniques.

In order to learn more about these amazing creatures, I spend a day at the Patara Elephant Farm, befriending Asian elephants and training to become a mahout. Mahouts specialize in breeding, training, and tending to these animals. A mahout will care for their elephants for life. Imagine being the sole care-taker of an animal that can weigh up to 9,000 pounds and lives to be over 50 years old. To me, that’s an incomprehensible responsibility and a true display of loyalty.

During the course of my mahout training, I feed, bathe, and conduct a health check on my elephant. Feeding an elephant is no small task as its daily food intake can be up 650 pounds. With a simple “ma!”, my elephant opens her mouth; allowing me to feed her bananas. It’s an indescribable experience to have this noble creature responding to my commands! I quickly understand how mahouts develop such unbreakable bonds with these gentle giants.

Elephants typically live with their mothers until about the age of four, before being placed under the care of their mahout for the remainder of their lives.

Next: To the trees!

Blog by Tati Amare, Jenny M. Buccos, Gabrielle Pasternak & Rachel Rudwall.
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